The Strongest Shinobi
by Piratefish
Summary: Ages before Naruto, the world is being broken. He is no sage, has seen nothing of the six paths, but someone must stand between this fractured world and oblivion. And there is no-one else. Second character is the Juubi.


The Strongest Shinobi

Ages before Naruto, the world is being broken. He is no sage, has seen nothing of the six paths, but someone must stand between this fractured world and oblivion. And there is no-one else.

Twelve years ago, the Juubi came. Its arrival on the east coast of Asia heralded unprecedented storms, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes. Worst of all, its shadow spread. In days, China lay in ruins, and it turned its gaze east. The beast seemed drawn to human souls, and landed in Tokyo long before they were ready.

Not that anyone was ever ready for the Juubi.

Anyone not directly killed by it, suffocated on the deadly aura it exuded. Within an hour, Tokyo was almost entirely devoid of life, though the rescue services didn't know that yet. Which was lucky for me. Other creatures drowned in the dark energy left behind by the demon. Not me. I thrived. Wrapping the power around myself like a cloak of shadows, I held on long enough for them to find me, feed me, clothe me. Send me along to a kind, childless couple, and I grew.

Meanwhile, the Juubi ravaged the world.

The malevolent force left behind by its passing was dangerous. Lethal, to small animals and young children. And the shadow left by passing of the demon grew, and spread, and darkened all the world. For quite a while, no children under five years old suvived. Save me.

They say the Juubi enjoys the souls of children.

The big cities went first, and civilization died with them. Countries disappeared, fragmented. People gathered together in so-called clans, often composed of folks without even traces of shared blood. Still, a clan meant protection, shelter, even food, if you were lucky.

Little by little, stories began spreading of strange happenings. People running like the wind, breathing fire, shaping air. Soon, it was fact, and widespread. Shinobi, they called themselves, those with the power to do what men only dreamed of in the past.

It didn't help them against the Juubi.

When I neared the age of six, babies began surviving. Perhaps their parents had adjusted to the shadows clinging to the world, perhaps the Juubi was weakening, it didn't matter. Hope, like a fragile seed, began to grow in the hearts of men.

By now those left had figured out how to survive. Traveling from place to place, always searching for food, water. Our neighborhood had become a tribe. But food was scarce, and when there is too little of something necessary, people do stupid things. Battles broke out, mini-wars between the clans. Shinobi grew stronger, more necessary to each tribe's survival.

And I grew strong fast. At ten years old, I killed a thief who snuck into the food-supplies. At eleven, I was an accomplished warrior. At twelve I was to fight the strongest member of the tribe.

"Sarutobi", he called himself, though no-one knew why. Hair prematurely graying, he looked far older than his twenty-three years. He had proven himself a good leader these past five years. He was an orphan, like me.

"Come-on then. Show me what you got."

He is far stronger and a fair bit faster than me in close-combat. If I was to win this, I had to use my skills in shinobi techniques.

As my wall of wind was intercepted by an enormous fireball, I realized Sarutobi wasn't without skill here either. Hastily forming a water barrier, I threw myself to the side just as a boulder smashed through it. Man. Had to go on the offensive.

Firing of a disorganized burst of lightning, I watched Sarutobi pull up an earth wall.

Something was wrong. I'd seen earth walls take a lot more punishment than my weak lightning attack before starting to crumble. Still, couldn't hurt to continue the bombardment. I formed two orbs of lightning in my hands, and pitched them at the wall, which immediately disintegrated.

Huh. Maybe I'd gotten stronger. Wait a minute _where was Sarutobi_?

Tremor in the ground. Below me. Leap up high, pushing off the ground with both muscle and wind. See three incandescent orbs rushing for me. If I _twist just so_ I can pull the flames _around _me, and absorb the four additional fireballs coming from behind me. Lucky. Still spinning slowly with my flame barrier, I prepare to drop to the ground as soon as I get any warning of a boulder penetrating my shield. Still. It would be useful to be able to _see _him. I peer blearily at my wall of flames then _it turns blue_ and I see through it and Sarutobi is cloaked in blue flame and flying towards me and _block him-_

Most of his fire is absorbed by the shield, and floating in the air as I am, I can't _not _roll with the blow, but it still hurts like a bitch. But it is time to end this and I form another electrical ball as he's falling to the ground and ram it into his shoulder.

Sarutobi twitches violently and lands badly, leg sprained or broken. He looks at me consideringly.

"I yield."

And I hear the cheering.


End file.
